East Teacher Named STEM Fellow

The following is a press release from the West Chester Area School District.

Art Zadrozny, a science teacher at East High School, has been selected as one of 50 STEM Fellows nationwide to participate in the 2012 Siemans STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Institute this summer. Sponsored by the Siemens Foundation and Discovery Education, in conjunction with the CollegeBoard, this diverse group of middle and high school educators will spend an all-expense-paid week in Washington, D.C. at the world headquarters of Discovery Communications – home to such television networks as Discovery Channel, Science and Animal Planet.

The Siemens STEM Institute is a one-of-a-kind, all expense-paid weeklong immersion program that promotes hands-on, real-world integration of STEM in the classroom. The selected educators will be exposed to guest speakers, innovators, and leading scientists at the forefront of STEM, visit leading institutions where Fellows will observe real-world STEM applications, and receive opportunities for networking and collaborating with peers from across the nation. In addition to broad-based STEM applications, each Fellow will be assigned to a thematic working group that will provide additional exposure.

In order to be eligible to participate in this program, educators must teach science, technology, engineering or mathematics courses in grades 6 through 12 and have a strong desire to improve teaching and learning in the classroom. The goal of the Siemens STEM Institute - developed by the Siemens Foundation in collaboration with Discovery Education, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and the CollegeBoard – is to create a group of STEM ambassadors who become key influencers in their schools and communities to help change the way STEM subjects are taught in American classrooms.

The Institute specifically sought educators from a broad spectrum of schools that include diversity in size and socioeconomic backgrounds of student populations and communities. A chemical engineer until seven years ago, Art’s background fits perfectly with the approach Siemens is promoting. He is one of only three teachers selected from Pennsylvania to participate in this prestigious program.